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Published: 2022-03-13 22:26:53 +0000 UTC; Views: 2540; Favourites: 11; Downloads: 0
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Description
An alternate form of Europe built off of an interesting concept: What if we just remapped the whole continent around maintaining a balance of powers. And for your enjoyment and my safekeeping, I'll explain every single country that was changed and why. Starting from the left to the right. We begin with:Portugal: I was initially going to give Portugal the straight of Gibraltar. Bu then I remembered that Portugal is most well known as a sea-faring nation, most famous for circumventing Africa. They also have good ties with England who exist on the north sea, so I gave them northern Spain instead.
Ireland: Ireland just gets back northern Ireland. Mostly so that neither, England nor Scotland gets too powerful from owning it.
Spain: Spain trades their northern territory for full control over the straight of Gibraltar. And as such gain the ability to profit from trade going in and out of the Mediterranean sea, so long as they maintain the ability to be able to obstruct that trade by some means.
Scotland/England: I'm not gonna lie. Scotland is split off from England, pretty much solely to prevent England from being too powerful. They also get the Faroe islands for fishing zones, to compete with English agriculture.
France/Aquitaine: France holds what might probably be in the top three of the most valuable agricultural land in Europe. It's also got a huge population too. So splitting it apart was inevitable. The specific split I've done however is designed to prevent France from having access to both the North, and Mediterranean seas. Which is exacerbated by the fact that their southern splitee, Aquitaine. Can access both seas. Thus being a strong foe to fight in a war of conquest. Along with the two other countries that border them, France should be appropriately boxed in, and unable to take over all of Europe.
Greater Belgium: All of the low countries have merged into one greater power. And have been given western Germany to boot. Greater Belgium should be more powerful, and thus more likely to fend of invasions, from France and Germany. Add on the fact that realistically, both France and Germany would likely ally themselves with Belgium if the other tried to take it for themselves. And you have a tough country to take.
Switzerland: Switzerland now holds the entirety of the Alps. As well as a little bit of southwestern Germany. All of this basically make Switzerland even harder to invade. Going from being a pain to conquer for France or Germany. To being basically impossible for them. As such, Switzerland is basically a wall that other countries have to go around to invade eachother.
Italy: Italy pretty much just loses some of their more mountainous territories to Switzerland. Even so, Italy is probably still in the coziest position in all of Europe. Tucked away within the Mediterranean sea, Having some of the best agricultural and geopolitical land in all of Europe, and with their only potential hostile neighbor being Aquitaine. Realistically if something is a threat to Italy in this timeline. Then it's a threat to all of Europe.
Germany: Germany mostly gets chunks of itself eaten away at by other countries. It also loses direct coastal access to the North sea, and has to go through Denmark. And even then, it might still be a bit too powerful. If you consider that the case, Just merge Austria and Czechia together. That should solve the problem.
Austria: Loses the Alps, but gain bits of southern Germany, I'd call that a win honestly.
Denmark: Gains back historic territory from Sweden. As well as a bit of Northern Germany. This allows them to pull off a similar situation to Spain, where they can just benefit from trade going in and out of the Baltic sea.
Sweden: Sweden loses their southern lands to Denmark, and that's mostly it. Yeah they lose a little bit of territory to Norway in the far north but that's trivial really.
Croatia: Unification with other northern Balkan countries produces overall stronger power that controls coasts. Has to balance land power and sea power while not really having the resources for both, thus making them weaker than they initially look.
Serbia: Same thing as Croatia honestly.
Hungary: Unified with Slovakia (Slovakia Hungary?) Thus making them not worth the hassle of invading for the countries that surround them.
Greece: Gains back some historic territory, giving them a slight economic boost which allows them to maintain the navy and military power needed to keep peace with their neighbors, they do have to give up Cyprus for it though.
Bulgaria: Takes back the European part of the Turkish straight. As well as half of Istanbul as a result. Maybe they can rename it Constantinople maybe? Either way it gives them geopolitical and economic power, to maintain a military capable of keeping peace, much like Greece.
Ukraine: Gets back their rightful territory from the Russians, (cough cough) But loses a little southern chunk of their land to Romania, for Romania's sake.
Estonia: Unifies to become a slightly bigger threat.
Georgia/Azerbaijan: Both get bigger to prevent Europe from bleeding into the middle east, and vice versa.
Finland: Also gets back their rightful territory from the Russians.
Russia: Hoo boy this is the big one. Russia just gets split into a bunch of smaller countries, because what else am I supposed to do. The way I split it up might not be the best way to split up Russia too. The issue here is just that Russian territory was mostly gained from just blobbing out until resistance was too strong to invade. As such all the borders are blurry, and I mostly just separated these using rivers. I mean hey, at least Kazakhstan got some territory out of it.